After foldable smartphones, Samsung is reportedly considering marketing a laptop with a foldable screen. The South Korean manufacturer is reportedly developing a new lightweight model with a teardrop-shaped hinge. The idea isn’t entirely new, as the laptop would adopt the technology currently used for the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Galaxy Z Flip5.
Both devices have introduced a new hinge that Samsung calls Flex Hinge. This is actually a hinge that essentially forms a “drop of water” when the device is folded up. The device exerts less pressure on the fold and, above all, helps to reduce the distance between the two halves. We have already seen it on smartphones and this concept is also interesting on a laptop. It would indeed help to offer a thinner design, even if we have to accept that we are not dealing with an Ultrabook.
As with a smartphone, the advantage is that it offers a larger display area. Several manufacturers are already trying the experiment, including Lenovo and ASUS for several years. Recently, HP and LG joined the movement by launching the Specter Fold and Gram Fold.
A “Galaxy Book Fold” for 2024?
Rumors about the arrival of a “Galaxy Book Fold” are not new. Back in 2021 we talked about the possibility of discovering a foldable laptop from Samsung. CES 2022 reinforced this hypothesis with the presentation of the Flex Note, a type of tablet that can be transformed into a foldable laptop PC. The South Korean manufacturer then had to demonstrate its know-how in the field of folding and sliding tiles. Recently, Samsung and Intel also showed a PC with a rollable screen.
Ultimately, the manufacturer would wait until fall 2024 to enter the fray. Rumors suggest that Apple is also working on a foldable MacBook for 2026.
As with smartphones, the PC world is also wondering which direction it should go. He particularly wonders about the advantage of the teardrop-shaped hinge compared to the U-shaped hinge. The latter could ultimately be more practical for laptops.
For Samsung, the interest in launching a “Galaxy Book Fold” is to position itself in this emerging segment. This would also be an important step forward for the display subsidiary, more so than for Samsung’s ability to disrupt the market. In fact, Samsung doesn’t dominate the laptop space as much as it dominates the smartphone space.
Currently, the few folding models on the market are very expensive or not available in France. We can currently find the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold for around 3,500 euros. The new Specter Fold, launched for 4,999 euros, is not expected to arrive in France, while the LG Gram Fold is currently only expected in South Korea.